An heir to a $2 million trust fund suddenly disappeared nearly three years ago.
On Wednesday, authorities in Pennsylvania arrested his former romantic partner, who allegedly stabbed the victim to death, used his phone to pretend he was still alive and drained his allowance money.
Victim Found Dead in 2019, Body Identified Last Week
The alleged victim, Rashid Young, 22, was reported missing in December 2019 in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, according to the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office. For years, his family has pleaded for answers on his whereabouts.
They recently hired a private investigator, who requested Montgomery County detectives look into Young's disappearance, the district attorney's office said in a statement Wednesday. Through an investigation that began two weeks ago, authorities learned that Young's body was actually found weeks after he was killed in August 2019, according to the statement.
The body was found by a landscaper at the Awbury Arboretum in Philadelphia on Sept. 30, 2019, but remained unidentified for years. Using dental records, the body was identified Friday as belonging to Young, the district attorney's office said.
The investigation led to the arrest of Keshaun Sheffield, 20, of Philadelphia, who police said was in a romantic relationship with Young for two years when Young vanished, according to officials. Their relationship came to light through cellphone records, help from a confidential informant and other means, prosecutors said.
Sheffield Used Young's Social Media, Cellphone to Make it Appear He Was Still Alive
From August to December 2019, Sheffield used Young's social media accounts and phone to communicate with his family and make it appear that he was still alive, officials said.
He also made "numerous withdrawals" from Young's $2 million trust fund before Young was declared missing, according to prosecutors. Young received an $800 allowance every two weeks from the fund, NBC Philadelphia reported, citing a criminal affidavit and investigators.
Bank records showed that between July 2019 and December 2019, someone made 15 fund transfers from Young's bank account to an account owned by Sheffield, the affidavit stated. The account was finally frozen in December 2019.
Sheffield, His Ex-Lover Helped Bury Young's Body
The Montgomery County investigation found that Sheffield transported Young's body in a Pottstown Borough Recycling container to a house in Philadelphia, where Sheffield lived with his mother, the district attorney's office said.
With the assistance of another person, Sheffield dug a hole at Awbury Arboretum and buried his body there, where it was found by a landscaper who called police, prosecutors said.
The investigation also included an admission from a former lover of Sheffield, who told detectives on May 28, that he received a call from Sheffield, admitting to the killing. He also allegedly confessed to helping Sheffield bury Young's body. That person's name has not been released.
Sheffield is accused of stabbing Young in his apartment in Pottstown on Aug. 19, 2019, according to the press release. He was arrested Wednesday and charged with first-degree murder, third-degree murder, theft by unlawful taking/disposition, receiving stolen property, possessing an instrument of crime and access device fraud. He was denied bail and his preliminary hearing is set for June 9.
